Ensemble As One
by Kiaya
Summary: In the midst of a world draging itself from the pits of fear, Kagome works. Case by case, she tries to learn anything that might allow her son to live a normal life. Studying cultures, habits, history and magic, will she be ready in time to save him.
1. Intro

* * *

Intro 

400 years ago Youkia succeeded in hiding themselves away from the world. They masked their faces, put dampeners on their powers, tunneled into the ground to hide for as long as this self imposed imprisonment lasted.

What did they hide from, you ask? They hid from us. From our religion, our persecution. Our need to be right. We would seek out the powerful and the secluded, and when we did not hear the answers that we wanted, we turned on those who were only trying to help. We took their blood, their bone, their skin and scale. In our superstition we were 'justified' and in our ignorance we could not be wrong.

So the Youkia council, composed of the oldest and most wise Youkia, started to seclude the Youkia populace, destroying those who proved resistant or those who could not control themselves. Agents were sent to all corners of the globe, to inform Youkia of all cultures, that they were to never again be seen by human eyes in their god given forms. Only as their primal forms or as apparent humans were they to appear in public. No Youkia gatherings were to be allowed, no major spells were to be cast and no manipulating the humans around them, lest the humans become suspicious.

It took near two hundred years to inform and enforce a new set of laws that went against the vary nature of many of the designated people. Those with magic could use their talents to hide themselves or loved ones from the outside world and go about their lives with limited interference. Those without a talent for hiding their abnormalities were forced to buy charms or spells to hide certain features. Charms appeared on the markets that were faulty and soon the distribution of charms was a trafficking offence without a license. The council forbade all unregistered spells, all under the counter charms were considered capital offences and any opiates that had the strength to intoxicate a Youkia were forbidden without the direct monitoring of a Youkia medical professional. Revenge on any particular human or group of humans was prohibited, lest the seeker be caught in the act and exposed.

Some things did not get hidden as entirely as possible, but considering the times when the hiding had started and those actually discovered by humans, the council was proud of their ability to maintain the secret. Little things happened that needed to be remedied, but nothing that could not be fixed. A see monster in Lake Ness. A black puma in North America. Snakes and alligators in sewer systems. Little things that just needed to be reminded to the offender.

Many customs and many objects were lost in the rush and push to hide from the increasing threat that was becoming humanity. New children were not taught many things for the regret that they would never be able to practice those parts of their nature ever again. They could not miss what they did not know. As a result, the control that kept many of the older Youkia from revealing their secret was lacking in the younger generations. Controlling their own populace became the number one profession linking all species of Youkia. To maintain peace and order and secrecy.

For 400 years the Youkia were able to maintain their own. Little things slipped in the open. Some mothers being able to life cars off their babies, running really fast to be able to stop a stroller from being hit by a car, men who could move fully loaded school busses that were about to teeter over a cliff. Things like that. Being able to hold up the roof of a mine shaft on a single pair of shoulders.

* * *

One day, a young woman, who was unknowingly a priestess, fell in love with a hidden Youkia. They loved each other for years before the young Youkia asked the young woman to marry him. She agreed. And without the approval of their parents, the young couple eloped. In Vegas, on there wedding night, the young Youkia dropped his illusion, for her to see the real him, for the first time. The young woman, scared out of her mind, unconsciously raised a protective barrier around herself, sending the young Youkia out the twenty story window to the sidewalk below. He lived. 

The newspapers were alight at the fact that someone could survive that kind of fall. Then, after the blood had been cleared from his face and stats had been checked, an actual interest was taken in the young Youkia's appearance. His 'strange tattoo's' and his unearthly beauty. His eyes and how they appeared to be animalistic. Blood was taken and tested. The young 'man' was not human.

* * *

The news hit the market at a million miles an hour with no chance of it being covered up. There was no way to prevent the discovery of Youkia any longer. After that there was a week of peace while more and more Youkia came out of the wood works, appeared on talk shows, and were interviewed by high ranking officials. Only one week of peace before the war began. 

It was not a war between countries, it was civil war, but across many countries. Some countries, like India, and most of the entire continent of Africa, they welcomed back there Youkia brothers and sisters like they had never left. The country of Japan was probably the most welcoming westernized country. Almost every other country reacted… poorly to the appearance of a hidden community of 'supper freaks' amongst them. Guns were bought at alarming rate, even in countries like England. Gangs hunted for those caught unawares killing innocent bystanders as often as not.

For fifty years terror lived on the streets of any major city. Curfews that had been instigated in the first years of the revelation still existed, and anyone not intelligent enough to follow said curfew was a dead man. The entire social structure of greater countries crumbled, many families dying of starvation before they even realized what was going on. Coincidently, it was the third world countries that faired the best from the entire situation. Those countries that had been in the midst of religious genocide who were able to stop the wars amongst themselves and learn about the Youkia who were their neighbors.

It was the Youkia council who saved the world. They picked up the loose ends that were humanity and helped piece the world back together. One hundred years after the first revelation of Youkia, the world was back where it had been left. Industrialized countries had to be built back up from the ground, both because of the now 'green' movement and because of the great pause in all manufacturing. The world emerged as one almost united front and industrially sound in all countries.

Old traditions were dug from the pits of remembrance, friendships were reconnected, people no longer lived in fear, well, no more than they had before the 100 years of waiting. Task forces were created, strong enough to control rogue Youkia. The job of the Youkia council was lightened because of the no longer need of having to remain hidden. But with that relief came quickly the realization that the criminals didn't have to remain hidden either. Humans trained to fight the Youkia, some becoming as good as experienced Youkia, other people started developing long denied holly powers that could control, disarm or even destroy troublesome Youkia.

Religion was remained and recreated. The lies that had been built on and around many of the religions were stripped away with the help of the longer lived Youkia. Many religions were restored to their original purpose, enlightenment.

The continued to spin, we did not nuke ourselves, we did not commit mass genocide. What we did do was, eventually, accept a new world order into our midst.

Some people resist the way of things still. After one hundred years of fighting, and all the wars before that. They have twisted reasons for wanting the world to go back to the way that it was. They want the war, the chaos, the death. Others think it is just devils come to take over the world and those unfaithful to their god will go to hell.

Still, for all the peace experienced at this moment, there are those who have to work for it, those who must pay with their own bit of heaven for others sake.

* * *

And then, there are those who will take, every, piece of heaven, that they can wretch, from the grasping paws, of those blasted demons.

* * *

A.N: So, what do you think of my Introduction. This is sort of a 'What if Youkia came out of the shadows right at this moment, and then how the world would play out one hundred years from now.' But not a lot of things would be different, except for the 'Green' movement. 

I know that this is not my best work right here, but I get so bogged down with ideas when I am writing in this format that I have trouble keeping my mind strait. But, not to worry. I already have a few chapters of this story written, so they should be up right quick.

Love you all, loyal readers.

Kiaya.

* * *


	2. Coffee and Pee

**

* * *

**

Chapter One 

_**Coffee and Pee…**_

"Give me two 20oz. mocha's. One crème brulee and the other cocoanut. With whip cream for both." The Starbucks in the Barns & Noble of the mall was almost devoid of customers at 7:30 in the morning. That was the reason Kagome insisted on using it every morning on her way to work.

"Kagome, why do we have to come into the mall every morning? Just to get our coffee? We could just drive through one of the espresso stands on the way and probably get to work on time for once."

Sango was as much of a coffee fanatic as Kagome was, why Sango was not able to tell good coffee from bad coffee, though, was beyond her comprehension. None of the drive through espresso stands had their two favorite flavors. Neither did they make your coffee right at the window. Sometimes they used stale coffee and that just ruined the entire cup. Going into a café was too much hassle and they were usually crowded with the usual business men, hoping to get one up by showing up with coffee.

"We are here, in the mall, at Starbucks, in Barns & Noble, because there is no way to make coffee except the Washingtonian way. Haven't I told you that before? All other coffee is obsolete once you have had their coffee. Besides, what is the point of owning your own clinic if I can't show up late every once and a while?"

Sango shook her head at her obtuse friend. When you show up late every day, there was no point in really trying to get there on time. Why not just make business hours start an hour late, so then all her employees could get an extra hour of sleep also. The logic of these thoughts would never be realized for Kagome. She just didn't think that way. The easy way.

"Yah, will you add one 16oz. chocolate mint mocha. With whip cream. Yah just add it on." Kagome had been looking at the board of beverages that were on special due to the holidays and apparently found one that she liked. Seeing the look that Sango leveled her way, Kagome took on the defensive. "What, I'll save it for later, it will be cold then and I'll just add ice and have an iced mocha." She pointedly ignored the shake of Sango's head to count out the bills for the clerk.

"One of these days you will have had too much coffee and you will start to pee coffee. Anyways, we need to hurry up. You have some new files to read on some potential clients. I was looking threw them on Friday, and I must say that at least one of the clients is important enough to be directed right to you."

Sango, though not an actual member of the clinic, worked directly with Kagome. As the head of security she had rights to dictate just what happened in Kagomes' life based solely on her digression. It also helped that they were best friends outside of work also. They did everything together. They lived close together, car pooled together, worked in the same building with direct interaction. They were even disowned together.

"I'll be just a second Sango. You carry yours and I'll carry mine." Both Kagome and Sango picked up their drinks and headed for the exit of the Barns & Noble. The car that Kagome drove, the one that they had bought together, was not that hard to find in the parking lot. It was a forest green, chrome, Jeep Cherokee. They had bought it almost new, second hand, at a dealership some five years ago. They loved their jeep and it was kept as clean and healthy as it had been the day they drove it off the lot. Minus the new car smell.

"Have you ever noticed that in almost every major store we go to, cans of 'new car smell' are everywhere? I mean, do people actually buy that stuff? They have to buy it if stores have carried it for years. So, who would buy something like that?"

Kagome looked slantwise at her closest friend. The ponderings of Sangos' mind would forever be a mystery to her.

"I don't know, Sango. I just don't know."

* * *

"Ugh. Erie, get me a dish towel!!!" The mocha that Kagome had been drinking was tipped on its side, ice and precious tan/brown liquid spilled across the top of the desk. Kagome had her two napkins held in front of her keyboard to keep the liquid from reaching her computer, with her little trashcan placed on the floor to catch what dripped over the edge of the desk. 

Erie poked her head in the door of her boss' office, only to 'eep' and scuttle to do as told. In the little lunchroom of the small office complex there was a sink and microwave and a little fridge. Dish towels were kept in one of the drawers by the sink, Kagome taking the dirty towels home every evening to be returned when she did her home laundry; occasionally with a little sock, statically stuck, folded up inside.

Kagome had saved her folders of potential clients private interviews, and her keyboard, the only thing that seemed to be ruined was her skirt and her nice white rug, placed just so she could sit at her computer barefoot of the restricting heals she wore with her suits, the soft fibers tickling the souls of her feet pleasurably. None of her employees knew of her one guilty pleasure, thus making her whining about the ruined rug inadvisable.

The mess was dried up and wiped down with cleaning wipes to keep the desk from getting sticky or attracting bugs. The towels and the two by two foot rug were bundled up and set in warm water to soak in the industrial sink in the lunch room, with the hope that the white material would not stain.

"I hope they don't stain. That will look bad, to have splotchy white towels. Even worse would be people thinking I'm grungy by having a stained and splotchy carpet on my wood floor."

Erie looked at her employer with just a hint of dubiousness, but chose not to say anything about her certainly strange antics. Erie was growing used to them, well, just the certainty that she would never be certain of anything being certain. That would be Kagome's exact words if she had been in a similar situation.

Erie sighed, now she was starting to think like her boss. Not a good thing. Closing the thick door with a click, Erie went back to her desk before anymore of the weird woman's unusual habits could become contagious, like that chewing on her hair thing Kagome did when she was thinking.

* * *

"Kagome, have you looked at those files yet? Yuka has finished with the Micunie file and needs a new case. Unless you think Yuka needs a break." Kagome's door opened without warning as she was bent in half, inspecting the damage done to the crotch of her relatively new dress suit. 

The Micunie family was a family of Youkia who had recently allowed a ningen female to marry into their ranks. The Micunie were horse demons who usually mated within their herd, or traded for a mare from a neighboring herd, but one of the stallions stock had fallen for a politically acceptable female and, with the permission of both families, had proceeded to court her and then to proposition a union between the two families. With the courting traditions and necessities being so different between the two cultures they had solicited the assistance of an Ensemble.

The Ensemble are like modern matchmakers. They researched the differences between the cultures and then helped the two hopeful lovers find a balance. In this case the balance took the engineer, the person working on the case as an Ensemble, ten months. In some cases the research required of previous cases, personal interviews with both parties all the way back to extended family, and finally negotiating a medium of any necessary issues that might cause a problem, can take years. The period spent researching before the ceremonies could be finalized, the inquiries as to the expectations between partners, the marriage bed problems (how things would 'fit together') and then life after the initial mating. Children, gestation, growth, developmental stages, things that might be common with one race that might not be expected by the other.

Kagome had personally handled a case that took eighteen months to 'figure out.' It had been early in her career and when she had thought she had it all figured, the couple came back six months later with a problem. The female had been seahorse demon and the male had been completely human. They had no idea about what to do. Who should look after the kids, what was going to happen? The poor gentleman agreed to, at the spur of the moment, ware a fake stomach pouch that the female placed her eggs in and the male wore for two months strait. There were only three kids, the female being distraught that there were so few, seeing as she had twenty brothers and sisters, and the male being overwhelmed.

The couple were quite understanding about everything as they had not thought about the resulting situation either, but it had been humiliating for Kagome to face another client with that scenario on her conscious. It could have gone horrible wrong. But Kagome used that case and learned from it, referencing it to all her, later, employees; so they may learn from her mistake.

The really tricky cases, those handled only by those with experience, were the ones between two species of Youkia. Blood tests were required to see if the couple could even _have_ children between the species barrier, family histories needed to be researched back _centuries_ in order to make sure that no errors or misunderstandings _ever_ occurred. Most Youkia mated for life, no mistakes were acceptable. Cases like that worked best if the engineer was allowed to live with the families for a while, to get a better understanding of certain life aspects.

"Um… I spilled coffee all down the front of my suit. Does it look obvious?" Kagome straitened and ran her hands down her skirt to smooth out the wrinkles for better judging conditions. Only Kagome would be able to straiten from that kind of position, ask a question that was totally innocent, and miss the look of uncertain suspicion sent to her by any sane person. She would have asked that same question of any person who had walked through her door at that moment, male or female, employee, client or guest; probably without even looking at said person for their reaction. Only looking up when the poor individual took a moment too long to come up with a non-offensive answer. The woman had no shame.

"Um… Yah. It is pretty obvious. It looks like you peed yourself. Wait until it dries, then it will look like you peed yourself three hours ago and are trying to hide it." Sangos' answer was honest and blunt, just about the only thing in the world, beside a social situation, that could make the oblivious woman blush.

"Well, thank you for being honest." Kagome said snidely. She walked over to a small closet room off to the side of her office and closeted herself inside. She kept spare sets of cloths, shoes and who knows what else in that room. After a few minutes of rummaging around, Kagome emerged dressed in a pair of sweat pants that were tolled down at the waist and up at the ankle, and a sleeveless white tank top. Her heels had been replaced with sneakers and ankle socks and her hair had been released from its bun to hang in a long ponytail down her back.

"I actually get more work done when I am relaxed than when I am in a suit." Kagome said defensively.

"You know that the other people are going to moan and complain that you get to relax while they are all stuffed up in cubicles. Then you are going to make 'casual Fridays' and then blablabla." Sango plopped down in the clean white cloth and tan wood chair that was part of a set in front of Kagomes' desk. "So, anyways. Back to the original topic. Do you want Yuka to take a break? She worked relentlessly for the last ten months, the pair went off without a hitch, and the mating ceremony was last week, she has just been working on after mating maters for the last couple of days."

"Um. Yah. Send Yuka in and I will debrief her. What I'm going to do is, she will follow up on some of her other cases, make sure that they are all going well as well, and then she will have at least one month off. The Micunie family was really generous. They had Yuka stay with them, dine with them, do everything with the family and they paid all her expenses and still paid the company in full. So, I'll talk with her, and then I want to talk to Erie about the next case placements, and then I want to talk to you about the Tashio case."

* * *

Hi, sorry about the wait. I had some kinks I had to work out in order to be able to poast this chapter. Ther Intro. was a little short, and I apologize, but I did not want to give away too much in such a short amount of time. 

So, there you go. The first REAL chapter of Ensemble.

Keep reading loyal readers. I'll try to update again before the holidays, but no promises.

Love you all, loyal readers.

Kiaya.

* * *


End file.
